This invention relates to visual aid and display devices and is particularly related to three dimensional mechanical devices which serve to represent various abstract concepts, models of the physical world, etc.
The use of mechanical models to represent physical phenomena is well known. Examples of this can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 25,476, to Allen, which discloses a mechanical model of the solar system and the U.S. Pat. No. 2,218,078, to Assmuth, which involves an assembly for modeling the mitosis of cells.
A limitation suffered by such devices is their lack of modifiability. While they function well in representing one phenomenon, they cannot be adapted to represent any others.
Also, it has always been desirable in presenting abstractions of various concepts to make the means of presentation as stimulating and interesting as possible. Three dimensional representations offer an advantage over simple two dimensional pictures, drawings, graphs and the like in that the spacial relationships of the components of the three dimensional device can be used to assist in representing the organization of the concepts being modeled and in so doing provide a more intriguing representation.
There is therefore a need in the art for a three dimensional device for representing concepts in a stimulating and interesting fashion which is also adaptable to a wide variety of subject matter. This invention is directed toward this need.